I was thinking about how I’m a devotee of “big shapes and small shapes” as a compositional guideline that I preach to my painting workshops. I continue to stand by that. However, my life right now is many small moving parts, and I wanted to paint a feeling that was based on the happy juggle of disparate parts. Could I make a pleasing composition of all small (with some tiny) parts? I compensated by contrasting other things, like making sure I had value contrast, warm vs. cool color contrast, straight lines contrasted with circles, sharp edges contrasting with soft ones. I needed to do this complete with a focal point and finding ways to move your eye throughout the piece. This painting is the result.

I’ve Got a lot Going On is 19.7″x26.5″ and is painted in pastel on Sennelier mixed media sanded paper, which I spritzed with India ink before commencing, so the small parts could contrast with a base of minuscule ones. See the entire image above and close-up details of it below.

Purchase the original painting here.

Obtain prints and merchandise of this image here ( Wouldn’t it make a good jigsaw puzzle? It makes a pretty fabulous phone case as well.)

What do you think?